#thelostinterviews

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Shanghai Wa Ogenkidesuka

Remember the time when Gwen Stefani kicked in with “Harajuku Girls” in 2004 — it was a blow-off for all of us who admired Japanese culture…

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Björn Segschneider: The Art of Lifestyle

“THE HOLY GHETTO, COATED BY NAMES AND INVECTIVES

AND RULED BY DAZED, IN

GARBAGE AND SMOG SUFFOCATING GANGS/

STROLLING SOULS SEARCHING PRODUCTS TO EXPUNGE

THEIR UNFULFILLED

DREAMS IN METROPOLIS LABYRINTH/

A GENERATION REFUSE SINKS BENEATH THE WEIGHT OF

DEPRESSION/

ODEUR DE JEUNESSE/

FLACON DE MERDE/

YOUTH STINKS/

PASSION OF CHAOS”

I don’t know who said it, but I read it in Björn Segschneider biography. And it matches perfect. Between street life and creation, Björn is doing some serious stuff. His personal style, which can be described as Brooklyn Wise Boys from the 90ies, with all those golden chains, Adidas outfit, tattoos added to Viennese charm, tells me that this German guy is a serious man. That he is an important artist. (Although I am not an art critic, I can recognize someone’s devotion and passion in what he is doing.) His aura tells us that he’s a warm, friendly person, with intensively intelligent approach to art making.

I met him in Belgrade couple of years ago, precisely in 2006, on the group ehxibition Real Presence held in Belgrade Heritage House. He ehxibited with some common friends, who were also studying in that time on Viennese Angewandte Academy of Applied Arts. Back then, the art was in the second plan for all of us, but in some another time, I could visualise the picture of what is Björn doing actually.

Tightly connected to music, Björn uses it in various ways: as the sound installations, motives on objects, in videos and as a DJ himself. Collage T-shirts with recognizable prints, LP records and cassettes exposed after different processes, light installations, ghetto conditions-these are all markers of Björn’s work showing us the inescapable connection between the symbols of our time and generation. Maybe usage of symbol is an overcome expression, but that’s what his art is; you can not separate it from the lifestyle.

I am especially delighted with the installation Water of Life Machine, which he did with his colleague Martin Grandits in 2008. The installation is dedicated (in a sort of a way) to the Queen Elisabeth, Damien Hirst and Victoria Beckham. Water of Life Machine creates an eternal life, through distillation, gas transportation which becomes fire and with the unavoidable secret ingredients-it makes everyone’s wish come true: youthful and neverending life. This machine is like a punch in the face to all the idolatry we are exposed in time; from mass medium, newspapers, television, internet.

Björn Segschneider collaborated many times with Martin Grandits, and people could see his exhibitions in Vienna, Berlin, Athens, Hamburg, Stockholm, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main. The last one I saw was in Studio Mühlgasse in Vienna, under the name Shallow Ideal Deep, where he represented audio and video installation and other work. You can also visit the page http://darkdisko.bandcamp.com/track/bj-rn-segschneider and listen some of his music.

More info: http://segschneider.org/

http://studiomuehlgasse.blogspot.com/

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Popsimonova / Zarkoff: Electronic music, as the way of living

Rarely you have both–woman and man in the working and loving condition. But, here’s the exception. Croatian artists, Lana Popsimonova and Zarkoff, seem to get along just fine. They keep on touring the most part of the year and promoting their releases. Zarkoff have just announced his new album Departed (2012), and Lana published her own release Yellow Lamps in February. We know them after performing on Exit festival (Elektrana stage) and from many Belgrade clubs. Between their international bookings, I asked them how they manage to keep the balance, professionally and privately.

Zarkoff: Well, let’s say it’s dynamic. It can be full of tension and misunderstandings, as obligations are changing, but we don’t live that accordingly anyway. In studio, Lana usually process some of mine ideas, or other way around. Sometimes I can help her only with the technical details, for the final mixdown. Or, I am there as a song writer, and that’s the part of my role. Outside the studio, it’s a completely different situation. Having on mind that she’s more striking on stage, I let her be in the spotlight, and me more invisible. That is completely fine, she is a girl and I can not envy her. I’m just doing my part as well.

Lana: Definitely, there are some disputes, but we don’t work together so often, so everything can be described as normal. We have a couple of common songs, but we stay as an individual artists. Saša (the real name of Zarkoff) helped me many times in writing songs, and he always helps about those technicals. So, we can play together, we live together and manage all other things working properly.

They have just finished the concert at Medika in Zagreb (underground city spot), and leaving to Berlin. Tell me, did the concert went well?

Zarkoff: After a longer break, we have decided to organize something for ourselves. It went very well, people had fun, although we started a little bit earlier, so some people missed the beginning of the concert. (Sometimes I forget that many of us are going out after 2AM!)

Lana: It was good. Medika is a very suitable place for us.

How are the things in the past few years on the Croatian electronic scene? Do you have any new name, somebody worth of attention?

Zarkoff: It’s a tough question. I must admit that I’m not much updated with the Croatian scene. Information I have are mostly about the new projects from people who I already know. So, I can tell you, for example, that Ivan Antunovic has a new project 1/2, How Convinient did some changes and they are having solo projects now. My colleague, Jasmin from Florence Foster Fun Club is very active with his project Le Chocolat Noir.

The next concert activities are guiding you to Berlin. What are your plans?

Zarkoff: I have the project waiting on me, and it is about industrial architecture. The idea is to make series of local artwork about the abandoned industry. I am mostly interested in influences industrialization made on natural environment, but also think about psychological influence on people, which I am going to put together, as both very important. It is the unbreakable bond, between people and machines. You can ask a lot of questions, and think about the aesthetic part of it, for instance, why are the factories build like that, why their appeal seem arrogant to humans, do they stay against tradition, are they destructive somehow…?

Beside that, the new album of FFFC Assymetric is coming out. We did ten new songs, for the Brazilian Wave Records, and, of course, new Zarkoff self published CD, for which I don’t have the name yet, but the material is done. 

Lana: I am planning to stay in Berlin.

Lana, you have realised in February album Yellow Lamps, for the publishing records Romance Moderne (they also publish Florence Foster Fan Club). How this collaboration started?

Lana: I stayed in contact with Victor Lenis (from Romance Moderne) since period of Dekolaž (the previous band she had), and with whom I’ve planned the longer collaboration. After he moved from Columbia to Bruxelles, he started with his new label, so we have finally realized the album.

You are also very interested in having your own fashion line. What about that?

Lana: I am at the very beginning, but I have something done. For now, I do my own things for the concert appearances, and its development is still unpredictable.

Saša, you are publishing for Home Made Electronica label and Adriatiko Recordings. Can you tell me more about it?

Zarkoff: Collaboration with Home Made has faded, because we couldn’t realize the last issue on which we were working on, se we decided to quit without any objections. I still work with Adriatiko Recordings. They’ve just published the remix of Sneak Thief, who has shown on the scene after long few years of pausing, with the album Mixed Feelings. He also published the digital EP Stray Cat Boogie on his own label Neuroplayer. Before that, we did Hazardous Material EP with Selecto. I am planning to work with Croatian label 0.5, but nothing precise yet. The whole publishing and distributing system is worth avoiding, so we’re working on that!

You guys live in Sisak, the most industrial part of Croatia. Can we recognize the impact of that kind of environment on your work?

Zarkoff: Absolutely, I’ve already mentioned my new project. It’s not that industrialization is my main inspiration, but definitely the important part of it. And it’s just pushing us to spend more time in studio, working.

Lana: Totally. Industrial landscapes made me, as a person, and had inspired me since childhood. Moving to Sisak only strengthened and defined that influence, from which I gain the inspiration and for my music projects.

Football or life?

Use drugs against sport.

  This interview is done in July, 2012

    Popsimonova's photo courtesy of Slavica Veselinović

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Rade Petrašević: The Painter Is Still Alive

New York had the young Basqiat, Picasso was once young in Paris, and Rade Petrašević has his prime time now in Vienna. With rich contemporary Austrian art scene, this young painter, with Yugoslav origines, had great mentors on Academy of Fine Arts, brilliant artists Franz Graf and Daniel Richter, who developed so many other talents. Rade’s style can be described as modern expressionism, with intentional avoiding of “post–modern” term. Living between Vienna and Berlin, Rade is involved in many creative projects. One of them is DARK DISCO.

DARK DISCO are the parties who gather various electronic and experimental artists and DJs, not only from Europe, but Balkans, United States, Middle East. For every party, they publish a compilation CD, and, in that way, directly support the underground scene. His publications can be also seen in Eine magazine, and in future shows in Vienna and Cologne. 

Rade, when you stand in front of your picture, what is your first thought? I first think Why is that diabolic picture still in my studio?

Can you desrcibe your relationship with Franz Graf? Franz Graf is guilty for everything! I LOVE HIM.

Franz tought me some things I never ever really wanted to learn… In a positive way, of course.

How do you paint, what suits you better? What do you think about new trends, what is important for you in painting nowadays (collage, combined technique …) Is it more an idea or what? I’m better off alone, it happens a lot that I paint over night…Trends come and go. In art, trends are made by galleries, not by artists themselves, it’s a fact. It’s all one big fantasy, which doesn’t exist for the artist. They’ve been always using different media and expressing without any trends. It’s a marketing strategy without any serious connection with art.

Who are the buyers of young authors now? It’s a good question. There are lot of young people in seeking for cheap, but good art. Also, you have young and ambitious buyers. As I’m concerned, I have a modest number of professional buyers who buy explicit art without galleries (it is less expensive, in a way, and we make some kind of intimate relationship, which can be very interesting).

And, what about DARK DISCO nights? DARK DISCO are Philipp Ruthner and I. The idea came in 2008, when Philipp played sort of dark music with some more lights off, in a little club in Vienna. We began with DARK DISCO as it is now last year, from one simple reason–we have great musical potential in our surroundings–and need for the music underground label doesn’t exist. So, the conception of DARK DISCO is: we lower the lights, it’s a permanent disco–fog and strobe, and one or two DJs play dark tunes. Also, every party has a performance about 10 to 20 minutes, with an artist who is intensively into sound or noise. We planned to do for every party one CD with experimental music, noise, to dark pop or electro/techno.

First CD came out in March this year, and you can see the tracklists on www.darkdisko.blogspot.com . Every CD is limited from 100–200 pieces, and includes the exclusive tracks you can not find on some common labels.

Further plans are to gain some money that we can pay the bands with the similar affinity, including international bookings.

I have to ask you, do you follow fashion blogs? I follow fashion as I follow art blogs. I support the idea of our time that everybody can express through blogs, like a big organizations. I have some huge fashion designers who I follow, but I also like being surprised with some underground fashion labels, and semi–professional common people, their ideas about contemporary or retro fashion. It’s very interesting that big fashion houses follow those blogs and what’s happening on the streets, putting those styles or trends into their collections. In fashion everything is possible and we don’t have to chase the labels to represent our own point of view. That’s why the blogs are most surprising, to give us the inspiration in creating our own style or image… Or, to show us that we’re not so original or individual as we thought.

What is next? The next are DARK DISCO nights with CDs, couple of exhibitions in Vienna and Germany, and also plans for edition of fanzines limited to 100 pieces, possible online.

Brooklyn VS Upper East Side Hell's Kitchen!

More info: http://radepetrasevic.com

http://xradexpetrasevic.blogspot.com/

This interview is done in June, 2012.

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Natascha Plum–Art of Fashion

Natascha Plum is a German living in Serbia with Montenegrin origin. Tough, as her family background, the clothes she makes can be described as linear, concrete and very refined.

She sticks to black, white, grey and mostly the men’s fashion. I asked her one evening, while we were drinking the coctails on the open, to describe me how is for her to stay on the road of designer and artist.      

Natascha, how hard can be to remain consistent to yourself, as a young designer, having on mind the difficult time we are living in? It’s not at all that hard for the most of young designers, that is very important to say. The sircumstances have been improved in the private sector. But, the government is still far away, in the sense of supporting the young talents. Talents, who have to prove themselves through work, and not by social status. And, it’s not only enough that we look at the bigger picture through the tragic eyes; it’s so hypocritical to make the stereotype of calling every designer transparently “the young designer”. I mean, the most of us are above 30, and it sounds ridiculous.

You have a huge working experience, to begin with Zextra, Nitex, in Yugoslav Drama Theatre, etc., to your own shop in Choomich Design District in Belgrade. How does it help you now to become more independent on the market and what is your target group? Of course, experience means a lot. I was forced, like as many of my colleagues, to work a various kind of jobs–as a costumer. But, when I look beyond, I think it’s much better to be linear from the start and in continuum to work on one peculiar thing. Because, no one thought us when we were young–on the faculty, to make the difference between making your own style and working whatever, which is very important. Developing of your own brand depends not on the experience you have, but on the good business plan and strong foundation. Multidisciplinary in CV looks only flashy. Now, I am working quite alone on the new collection, and in preparation for the market.

Can material issue be quite exhuasting in certain moments, and is there a thought about selling, in some sort of way, your talent to some big fashion production? There is no doubt that material issue is exhausting, particularly when your goal is to have your own label. You have to sell, that you can invest. So, you have to sell it better.

I did my own research about the resources, and I can’t see some working potential. Outside the country, it goes much better. I keep on looking and looking the designer houses, show–rooms, magazines, etc., and sometimes it looks like a horror. It takes a lot of time, so I would be glad to have a manager–salary on percentage! (If you are interested, please, be kind–email is [email protected])

And, you asked about the fashion houses… Hm, If you meant on the regular job, and for the regular income–why not? Everlasting freelancers are as happier as they can be when they find themselves on the payroll.

What do you think, Raf Simons for Dior? Was that surprising? Everyone who says it was the big surprise–lies, or have no idea about the fashion. We were in some kind of fear, because that proves that everything’s on sail now. But, a lot of people are happy for him, and see the big afirmation coming. I’m, myself, in a little worry, because I trully endorse everything he did for “fashion” to become nowdays, and beyond the framework of fashion.

Will he be good for Dior? He’s going to be excellent! Will Dior be good enough for him–I can not predict after that challenge.

When we talk about fashion which is not pure fashion, but more art, where you can find yourself? Outside Serbia. Here no one has a sense for that.

The collection you are working on is for the women in certain age. From your opinion, when women are beautiful the most? There is a need for balance, when it comes to mature. It is the ability to see the things happening with a distance. For me, that distance is fascinating. Their focus is very determined. In the Supermarket Concept store, older men between 50–60 years were buying my suits the most. Possibly, that was the best feedback for me until now!

Mature woman are the most beautiful then, because they know what they want, they are confident and self–accomplished (or, at least, they compensate it with a good look).

How do you choose materials? What texture inspires you the most? I have to admit that I first choose the color, when it comes to materials, which signalize “come and touch me”. That first contact with the material is very important. If it doesn’t match, and even most exotic color fails. When the fabrics fit, that tactile moment becomes the texture itself. In my new collection for women, graphics are more soft, and texture becomes structural.

Are you ever going to make an exception from your geometric expression and how it can possibly look alike?I believe I am.  I always worked between two extremes, so it would be diametrically opposite to geometry. We’ll see.

Jewelry? Paraphernalia. I don’t have anything against that idea. Jewelry represent extremely beautiful and important symbol. But, I rarely see it, so I don’t own it.

I prefer an out–of–time piece who directs what you should wear, instead of other way around.

Being too decorated is pure populism.

Brooklyn VS Upper East Side Never been there! But NO highbrow aesthetics, no thanks.

Death To Fascism!

This interview is done in May, 2012.